Blackbird Pond
by Mistletoe Moon
Summary: Fate struggles to get Nat and Kit back together again, but along the way, she meets Gilbert... COMPLETE
1. Double Wedding

A/N: This is my first fanfiction, and I haven't read the book in a while.  Please review and tell me if there are any mistakes.  Thanks!  By the way, this fanfiction takes place just before Nat returns.  I can't imitate the way that they talk, so I'm just going to try my best to write something they might have said and take out what they wouldn't say.  All the characters you don't recognize belong to Elizabeth George Speare, not me.  
  
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"Come, Kit!  It is time for the wedding!  If you do not come now, we shall be late!"  Uncle Matthew yelled up the stairs.  
  
Kit rushed down.  She did not want to be late for this wedding.  Finally, Mercy and John would be married, as would Judith and William.  If only someone else could be there...but no.  He had been banished, and if he came back, he would be killed.  All on account of her.  
  
When Kit arrived at the Meeting House where the marriage was to take place, the guests were all assembled, and the procession was about to begin.  The music began to play, and Uncle Matthew walked Judith down the aisle.  He carried in his arms his older daughter, Mercy.  
  
Uncle Matthew gave his daughters away to their husbands-to-be.  The wedding vows were taken as Aunt Rachel began to cry.  Kit herself felt like crying too.  She had come to love her uncle, aunt, and cousins, and knew they felt the same for her.  She wanted to shout with joy that the world was almost at rights, now that Mercy had married John Holbrooke, and Judith had married her beloved William.  But deep down inside, she knew that she was jealous of the fortunes of her two cousins.  She knew that she shouldn't be, but she was.  She wanted Nat, and she could never get him.  
  
Kit was roused by a jubilant cheer from the onlookers, and looked up to see the couples share a kiss.  Jealousy welled up inside her, and she could not help but think that she would never kiss anyone; Nat was her one and only, and he was gone, never to return.  Kit could contain this jealousy no longer.  She surreptitiously crept away from the wedding party and ran as fast as she could to Blackbird Pond, splashing her beautiful blue dress with mud, but she did not care; all she wanted to do was to go somewhere where she could be alone.  
  
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A/N: I know this chapter was really short!  I think they will all be rather short.  I'm sorry! Please R/R!


	2. Prudence

A/N: This is my first fanfiction, and I haven't read the book in a while.  Please review and tell me if there are any mistakes.  Thanks!  All the characters you don't recognize belong to Elizabeth George Speare, not me.  
  
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Kit slowed down to a walk just as she arrived at Hannah's old home.  She sat down outside and remembered a time when she and a hard-headed boy had spent a day thatching the roof on the hut of their old friend.  She closed her eyes and wished that he could be there beside her.  
  
Kit heard heavy breathing, and she looked up.  Who was it?  She looked around, seeing no one, until her eyes sighted a child.  Prudence.  
  
"What are you doing here, Prudence?" she asked.  
  
"I saw that you had left the wedding party and thought you were going somewhere.  I followed you to see where you had gone, but you ran so fast I lost you.  Plus, I had a hard time persuading Ma to let me go. I told her I needed to go to the bathroom.  She'll be plenty angry when I don't come back."  
  
"Oh Prudence, you adorable child!  You shouldn't have followed me here.  Come, we'll go back to the wedding.  Your mother mustn't be angry with you on account of me."  
  
The two set off for the Meeting House and walked for a while in silence.  
  
"Mistress Tyler, why did you go to Hannah's hut?" Prudence asked after a while.  
  
Kit did not know what to say.  As mature a child as Prudence was, Kit was not ready to tell anyone, even Prudence, about the pain she felt on account of never being able to see Nat again.  Also, she could not bear to break the child's heart by telling her that she planned to go back to Barbados to be a governess.  
  
Kit took a deep breath and said, "I...I felt as if I needed some fresh air.  The church was stuffy."  
  
Prudence gave her a dubious look, knowing that this was not the real reason.  However, she knew that as much as she probed Kit, she would not tell her true reason for running away, and Prudence remained silent.


	3. Kit's Plan

A/N: I know my chapters are REALLY short...this one is PATHETIC!  I know!  And I don't update that often, I'm sorry!  I'm going to post another chapter before I go to bed tonight...thank you all SO much for the reviews!  
  


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The next few weeks were rather like a blur for Kit.  Each day she woke up around seven AM and prepared breakfast for her aunt and uncle, as well as for Mercy.  They breakfasted together, and the working day began.  Each day, she would help Aunt Rachel with chores in the kitchen, and then she would help Mercy to teach her small home school.  It was a tedious routine, but Kit knew that after she had gone to Barbados, she would miss this routine very much; it was comforting to her.  Besides, she needed to keep her routine as normal as possible; no one could know that she was planning to go back to the place of her childhood.  As dearly as she loved her relatives, she would not tell them.

In the meantime, Kit made preparations to return to Barbados.  She found out that there would be a vessel traveling there and that she could pay her passage by selling her dresses.  With this knowledge, Kit soon found a tailor in a nearby town who gladly bought the dresses from her for a rather high price.  Kit would be supplied with enough money for the trip and for when she first arrived in Barbados.  She was now ready to execute her plan as soon as the vessel left.  She would only have to wait another week.


	4. Saying Goodbye

A/N: By the way, I should clarify when this takes place.  Nat has not yet come back for Kit.  Judith and Mercy's lives are set at rights when their fiancés marry them.  Kit believes there is no one for her; she does not know that Nat loves her.  (Is this story depressing?  I'm going to add Nat in here, I promise!  Just not yet...)  
  
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Kit slipped on a simple gray dress and a cloak.  It was very early in the morning, before the break of dawn.  She would steal out of the house, leave a note for her relatives, and sail away to Barbados.  She would not look back on her life and regret her decision.  She would go forward and stride confidently down life's path, wherever it led her.  
  
Kit sighed and packed away the last of her belongings, including a beautiful white silk dress decorated with lace.  This had been her mother's wedding gown when she and Kit's father had been married, and it reminded Kit that there had been a time when love had worked for her family.  She pretended to herself that it gave her hope that she might also find love in Barbados, but deep down inside, she knew that her heart belonged to a certain young sailor who she could never have.  
  
With all her belongings packed away in a single trunk, Kit walked out of the room and put the note on the kitchen table.  She went back into the room and picked up her trunk. She was about to walk out of the door, when a faint voice addressed her.  
  
"Kit?  Is that you?" 

It was Mercy. 

"Yes...Mercy?" 

"Kit!  What are you doing fully dressed at an hour like this?  Not even the sun has risen! Where are you going?"

"Please, Mercy," Kit begged. "Don't stop me from going.  I'm traveling to Barbados to start a new life." 

"Why?  Are you not happy here with us?" 

"I am, Mercy!  I really am!  I just can't stay here.  I'm so grateful that you and your family offered me a place to stay here, but I know I just can't.  Please don't ask me why.  Please just let me go." 

Mercy stared hard at Kit.

"It's about Nat, isn't it, Kit?  You can't stand to see Judith so happy with William and me so happy with John.  I don't blame you, Kit.  I would feel the same if I were you."

Kit felt awful.

Mercy had divined her thoughts, and she felt ashamed that she was such a jealous person. 

"You wouldn't feel this way, Mercy.  You're a wonderful person; you are not capable of jealousy." 

"But I am, Kit," Mercy said softly. 

"I have never told anyone this, but every time I see anyone walking around, I feel jealous that they can walk, and I cannot.  You have no idea." 

Kit did not know what to say. 

"It's all right, Kit. I understand why you must go.  I give you my blessing, and I'm sure Mother and Father will too.  Come and let me embrace you once again before you leave." 

Kit walked to Mercy's bedside and hugged her cousin, tears in both girls' eyes. 

"Goodbye, Mercy..."  Kit said, faltering.  "Thank you...for everything."  

"Goodbye, Kit," Mercy replied feelingly.  "May God be with you."  

The two girls parted tearfully, and Kit exited out of the front door of the house, leaving behind her life with her cousins.

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A/N: That's all for this time, folks! I'm REALLY sorry the chapters are so short...I really can't make them longer...Review please!


	5. The Sea Queen

A/N: Okay, now I've tried the whole reformatting thing and saving it in Web Format...let's see how well that works...I also reformatted the other chapters...it gets screwed up when I try to upload it though.  Thank you all so much for your comments, especially steph!  I feel very loved J.  I'm feeling amazingly motivated, so here goes.

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Now that she was out of the house, Kit quickly strode toward the direction of the docks, knowing that it would be a good half an hour or so before she got there.

_Just in time to get on board_, she thought to herself.  She had already visited her favorite haunts, such as Hannah's hut, and written a goodbye letter to Prudence, which she had left at the hut, knowing that as soon as she had disappeared, that would be where Prudence would go.

Kit noticed the sky gradually becoming brighter as dawn came.  Kit walked on; she had almost arrived at the dock and could hear the sounds of men rushing about, preparing to embark on various journeys.  She could smell the saltiness of the sea and felt the wind blowing her hair this way and that.  She thought of a song she had heard long ago in Barbados: "Don't fall in love with a sailor boy, sailor boy, sailor boy!  Don't fall in love with a sailor boy, for he'll take your heart to sea!"

_So much for that advice_, Kit thought, smiling wryly.  She had not heeded it, and look where she was heading—out to sea.

Kit finally arrived at the docks and looked around, trying to sight the ship which would bear her to her beloved Barbados.  She could see _Sea Queen _nowhere, and she decided to ask someone.

"Excuse me, sir, but where can I find the_ Sea Queen_?" she asked politely.

The sailor moved on, ignoring her.

"So much for that," Kit muttered to herself.  She would just have to find someone else to ask.

A rotund, jovial man walked by, singing a tune, and Kit decided to ask him for directions.

"Ah…traveling by ourselves, are we, dear?" he asked.  "Well, no matter.  Head toward that building there and you'll see your ship.  It's a small ship, next to the _Feuille de l'Arbre_ over there.  You can't see it from here, but the _Feuille de l'Arbre_'s the tall, majestic green one there."

Kit thanked him and walked toward the ship, admiring the _Feuille de l'Arbre_'s beautiful, rich tones and its fresh, new coat of paint.  However, when she was close enough to see the _Sea Queen_, she began to have second thoughts about the voyage.

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A/N: Cliffhanger!  Sorry!  I love you all dearly, but I'm going to abandon you here while I go off and do other stuff…I'm lazy like that J.  I hope you don't burn me or anything…*avoids rocks being thrown at her*  I've figured out the whole plot and all, so I don't think we'll have issues with writer's block.  No spoiling it with plot bunnies!  Probably about 8 or so more chapters to go…*author groans and is unable to imagine how she's going to write so much…*


	6. Gilbert Ford

A/N: Sorry I haven't posted for so long!  I've been extremely busy recently.  So here goes.  (Notice how my chapters are so inconsistent in terms for formatting…) -.-

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The _Sea Queen_ was a small, dilapidated ship, its dirty yellow paint flaking off in most places.  Kit could tell that the wood was rotted in some places and that the boat had seen better days.  She doubted that it would be able to make it out of the harbor, much less all the way to Barbados.  It did not look seaworthy at all.  As for the crew, they were a filthy, rude lot, swearing left and right with such words as Kit had never heard or even imagined.  They looked as if they hadn't bathed for weeks and let off a scent so putrid Kit immediately began to feel pangs of regret at not saying "yes" to William's proposal.

_I guess that's what you get for booking such a cheap cabin_, she thought.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up her solitary trunk, having sold off the others, and stepped onto the gangplank that led to the ship.  They would be leaving in half a hour.

"Can I help you with your trunk, miss?" someone behind her asked.

Kit whirled around.  A tall, lanky man stood behind her, his twinkling brown eyes smiling merrily at her, his unruly chestnut hair blowing in the wind.

"Yes, please," she said.

"I'm Gilbert Ford," he declared as he picked up her trunk.  "May I presume to ask what your name is?"

"I'm Katherine Tyler," Kit responded.  She liked this handsome man with his carefree, polite air.  It was certainly more pleasant than a certain someone who often had a mocking air about him.

"Nice to meet you," he said.  "Are you traveling to Barbados?"

"I am.  I grew up there and wish to return there."

"For a visit?"

"No," Kit replied, her eyes somehow unable to meet his.  "I…I'm going to start a new life there."

"I see," he said quietly.

"What about you?" Kit asked, eager to change the subject.  "Why are you going there?"

"My uncle, a large plantation owner, died and left his entire estate for me.  I'm moving there to claim it."

"My grandfather, Sir Francis Tyler, was a large plantation owner.  He died a few months ago.  I miss him still."

"I'm so sorry.  I seem to remember that my uncle had a friend with the last name Tyler.  He was going to marry the man's daughter or something like that.  I'm not exactly sure of the details.  Do you know something about this?"

"I believe your uncle's name is Bernard Morsiton?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"He tried to marry me."

A silence fell, and Gilbert stared disbelievingly at Kit.

"I can see why, Mistress Tyler."

"Please call me Kit."

"I will if you call me Gilbert."

"Indeed I will, Gilbert."

"Thank you, Kit.  Now, the introductions having been properly made, how would you like to meet the captain and see about your room?  I do believe that we two are the only passengers on board…"

Kit smiled and took the arm he offered.  As the ship left port, the two made their way toward the captain's cabin.

*          *            *            *            *

As the journey progressed, the two became better acquainted.  Truly being the only two passengers aboard, they would often dine together, away from the unruly and rather obscene crew and their unpleasant captain.  Kit was grateful for his presence.  Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't been there?  Kit shuddered to think of a journey alone with a rowdy crew and unpleasant captain…she preferred not to think of it.  In a way, this journey reminded her of one she had taken not too long ago aboard the _Dolphin_, John Holbrooke being her only pleasant company aside from Prudence Cruff.  Oh, the poor child!  Imagine having to live with such a shrew as Goodwife Cruff and that pathetic excuse for a man, Goodman Cruff!  Kit would have to stop thinking about this or she would go crazy with pity for the girl.

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A/N: How'd you like it?  I finally reread the book!  (However, this doesn't mean I remember that much more…)  I think this chapter was longer… By the way, I PROMISE I will not abandon this story without telling you the rest of the plot.  I lied in the last chapter saying there would be 8 more…haha.  Sorry, probably only about 3?  (How in the world did I come up with 8???)


	7. The Storm

A/N: Don't worry, Angel of Despair, I'm not a person who breaks up couples who are meant to be…Gilbert is a nice guy and all, but Nat gets the girl!  (I'm SO spoiling my whole plot line this way, but…)

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As the days passed, Kit and Gilbert grew even closer than before.  They would spend just about every possible moment in each other's company, and would separate only at night to go to their cabins.  Kit noticed that Gilbert began to look at her with much the same interest as his uncle had, and to be frank, she didn't mind at all, in fact, one might say she rather enjoyed this attention from such a charming man.  She believed she was beginning to fall in love with him, and wholeheartedly welcomed this change from her obsession with Nat.  If she couldn't have one man, then why not go for another?

One day, a huge storm suddenly struck, leaving the entire crew occupied, and Kit alone on the deck of the ship.  Gilbert had gone to his cabin to get something he needed.  Kit was struggling valiantly to try to get to the door leading below deck, when she saw Gilbert coming up from below.  He tried to reach her, to help her back down, when he tripped over a large bundle of rope on the ground.

_Nat wouldn't have done that_, Kit thought.  As soon as this idea raced through her mind, she was mortified.  She hadn't thought of him almost ever since she met Gilbert.  Why now?

Gilbert reached Kit without further ado, and he helped her successfully below deck.  There they dried off and went to sleep, trying to ignore the storm, Kit wondering why she had thought of Nat just then, and Gilbert wondering why there had been a storm just when he was getting ready to propose to her.

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All was calm the morning after, and they reached Kit's beloved Barbados without any further ado.  They stepped off the ship, both not having gotten their land legs yet, and were rather unstable.  With a shock, Kit realized that she had no idea what she would do next.  She had been so busy with Gilbert that she had completely forgotten to make any course of action for when she finally arrived in Barbados.  Luckily, Gilbert saved the day.

 "Kit, where are you going now?" he asked.

"The truth is, I don't know…"

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"I do not."

"Would you honor me by your presence at my late uncle's estate?  You could stay with me until you found another place."  _Or forever would be nice too,_ he thought.

"Thank you very much!" Kit replied enthusiastically.  She was so grateful for this offer that she flung her arms about his neck, and the two embraced warmly.

_Should I ask her to marry me?_ he thought to himself.  He decided against it.  He would bide his time.  He would wait and see if she enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers.  He would give it another three months, wait until the details of his inheritance were fully settled, and then ask her to marry him.  Yes, that was a good plan.

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A/N: THEY WILL NOT GET MARRIED!  I PROMISE!


	8. Vacation

A/N: There's the thing about how I have no idea about hotels and all that at the time that Kit was "alive…"  I'm currently stuck in a room with a whole bunch of computer game obsessed freaks…thus, the result…

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Within a month, the two were comfortably settled at Gilbert's home.  Kit was now so infatuated with Gilbert that she hardly ever thought about anyone else, and a young sailor named Nat hadn't crossed her mind ever since the storm aboard the ship.  Gilbert and Kit went just about everywhere together and often flirted with each other, both too shy to say anything thought they both knew they were enamored with each other.

One day, Gilbert took her to a beach on the other end of Barbados, to the only well-established resort on the island.  He decided that he would propose to her while they were there.  They set off aboard a small ship, and when they arrived, Kit and Gilbert checked in.  Kit found that they had a two-roomed suite tastefully painted in hues of pastel pink, blue, and purple.  She enjoyed this very much, and began to suspect that Gilbert would be proposing on this trip.

*           *            *            *            *

The two spent a lot of time on the beach, just strolling back and forth, enjoying the warm sun and each other's company.  Ironically, Gilbert would never swim in the tempting blue ocean; being a New Englander at heart, he was rather loath to swim.  Kit however, would enjoy her time in the water, once remembering Nat's comment about staying out of water and being thankful that he was not there to remind her.  Gilbert looked at her with doubtful eyes.  Did he want a water nymph for a wife?

*           *            *            *            *

On the last day of their stay, Gilbert took Kit to an expensive restaurant near the hotel.  He was ever so gallant, doing little things such as helping her with her jacket and pushing in her chair for her.  Kit knew this was the night he would propose, and though she was bursting with love for him, she did not know why her heart told her this was not right.  However, she reasoned with herself, trying to justify that he was meant for her and she for him, that he had been ever so kind to her, and that he was rich and could provide her with money and a happy life until she died.

So when Gilbert looked deeply into her eyes and asked that fateful question, "Will you marry me?" Kit closed her eyes, ignored her heart, and said, "Yes."  Gilbert did not kiss her, for he was a rather conservative man, and also because he wanted their first kiss to signify their marriage, long lasting and sweet.  Kit didn't mind this at all; in fact, she was rather relieved.

*           *            *            *            *

The next morning, Gilbert went downstairs to check out of the hotel.  At the front desk, there was a extremely beautiful girl with eyes like gleaming emeralds, her nut brown hair cascading down her back in graceful curves.  With a quick look at her name tag, he figured out that her name was Anne Meredith, and that she was from Spighmoor, the very town in which he was born and raised, a few miles away from Weathersfield.

They immediately began a conversation, falling more and more in love as they talked.  It was love at first sight, and Gilbert vaguely wondered why he had proposed to Kit so soon.  It was only when the doorman told Gilbert, "Excuse me, sir, the lady is waiting," that he realized that he had to go.

"You will be here until the end of the year, will you not?" he asked Anne.

"I will…I hope you'll come again soon," she replied.

"I will…I promise."

*           *            *            *            *

Neither Gilbert nor Kit said anything much on their journey back to Gilbert's estate.  Gilbert was busy thinking about Anne, and Kit was busy wondering why she accepted Gilbert's proposal…she did not love him, she never had; it had just been a temporary infatuation; all along, deep in her heart, she had loved Nat.  Nat was her one and only, and Gilbert was just a very good friend.

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A/N: I know, I know, I really rushed this chapter.  I had to finish before my mom came to pick me up, and I really, really needed to get this chapter over.  2 or so more?  And, notice the Gilbert/Anne thing!  I'm an Anne of Green Gables person too!  Probably no more posts until next week…


	9. Together

A/N: Almost there…NAT IN THIS CHAPTER, GIRLS!

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A few weeks after they returned from their mini vacation, Kit and Gilbert were strolling along the wharf.  It was a warm day, the sun dazzling brightly above, and the sea was beautiful and calm.  The wharf was busy with sailors unloading and loading their cargo, and passengers getting off or onto ships.  Kit couldn't help scanning the horizon for a certain ship, even though it would most likely not be there.

"What's wrong, Kit?" Gilbert asked softly.

_Everything,_ she thought to herself.  _As good of a friend you are to me, Gilbert, I cannot truly be your wife.  I know you do not expect me to cook, clean, and do your laundry, but there is more to it.  I cannot share your bed and bear your children. I belong to Nat._

"Nothing," she said.  "I'm just nervous about the wedding."

"Yes.  Only two more weeks," he said gloomily.  He did not want the wedding anymore than she did.  Anne was constantly figuring into his thoughts, day and night, and when he thought of love, he thought of Anne, not Kit.  But he could not do anything about it; he would be marrying Kit, and Anne would be lost to him forever.  He had not seen her since that fateful day at the hotel resort, and he did not know very much about her.  He desperately hoped she was not married; he was too scrupulous to start an affair with her.  He could not deceive Kit; she was his friend, if nothing more.

Sad thoughts and useless regrets plagued the unhappy couple as they strolled along the wharf.

*           *           *           *           *

Kit looked up to see an old sailor staring boldly at her.  He looked so familiar…who was he?

Unfortunately Gilbert saw the sailor too.  He drew an arm around her shoulders and stared back at the man.

"Why are you staring at her like that?" he asked protectively.

"Beg your pardon, sir," the sailor replied before scurrying off.

_He looks so familiar_, Kit thought, as Gilbert took his arm off her shoulders.  He had not felt comfortable in that position; he had been imagining that she was Anne, and to him, that was deceitful and wrong.

*           *           *           *           *

"Nat!  Nat!" the sailor cried breathlessly as soon as he got back on the ship.

"Yes, what is it, Bertram?" the handsome, lanky sailor replied.

"It's her!"

"Who?" Nat asked, though he had a feeling he knew.

"Her!  You know…her!"

Nat was now sure he knew.  Which female would be in Barbados?  Which female would be strolling along the wharf?  Of course he knew.  Without another word or even a thanks to the old sailor, Nat ran off in the direction Bertram had indicated.

Bertram sighed.  Ah, to be young and in love…so many heartbreaks…so much potential happiness…and there Nat had gone, off to see his beloved in the arms of another man.

*           *           *           *           *

"Wait here a moment, Kit, while I go in to see Sir Charles.  I need to talk to him about a recent shipment," Gilbert said.  "Unless you would like to come along?"

"No, I'll stay out here."  Kit did not like Sir Charles' store very much; it smelled heavily of liquor and tobacco and was frequented by rough men.  On top of this, Kit did not like Sir Charles himself; he was a fat, lazy slob who sat on his chair all day, yelling at underpaid, starved children to serve his customers in exchange for a piece of moldy black bread less than the size of their palms.  While Gilbert did not like Sir Charles either, he had business to take care of, and he would just have to do it on his own.

*           *           *           *           *

Nat ran faster and faster, his heart beating more because of anticipation at seeing his beloved Kit once again, than because of his relentless pace.  The last time he had seen her was when he had saved Hannah and she had declined to go with him.  She had deceived him; he thought she had loved him, but she hadn't, and she had made up an excuse not to go with him.  So why was he running back to her?  Oh, plague this!  Nat's head was not working, only his heart, and he would find Kit.

But where was she?  He had not seen any females around, only prostitutes on the docks, scantily clad in revealing dresses, their faces overdone with makeup.  One had even had the nerve to come up to him and flirt with him, making kissing noises at him.  He had ignored her, rather enraged at her daunting, and continued to run.

Was that Kit?  The young woman standing at the dock, her hair blowing in the wind, a trapped, lost look on her face…was that Kit?  So different from the haughty disdain she had shown after she had dove into the water to save Prudence Cruff's doll…so different from the gentle look she had given Nat so long ago…was that Kit?

"Kit!  Kit!" Nat cried out, unable to restrain himself any longer.

The girl looked up.  So it was Kit.  What was she doing here, in this end of the wharf?  She couldn't be…could she?  No, her dress was respectable, and she did not wear excessive amounts of makeup…but still…one could see why a man would pay to…

*           *           *           *           *

Kit looked up.  A tall, handsome, well-tanned man was bounding toward her in what seemed like hysterical lunacy, shouting her name as if in delirium.  It was Nat.  Nat had come to her.  He had come to Barbados.  He was here to save her.  She ran into his arms, joy rushing through her, and Nat decided that Kit had maintained her innocence.

*           *           *           *           *

"Kit, it's been so long…how are you?" Nat asked breathlessly.

Kit began sobbing at once in a mixture of joy, regret, and sadness.

"Shh…it's okay, Kit.  I'm here now, darling, and I love you.  Just let it all out," Nat said, patting her back gently, his heart breaking with every tear that rolled down her beautiful cheek.  What was wrong?

Kit continued to sob into his chest, but slowly choked out an explanation.

"I'm…I'm engaged, Nat," she said painfully.  "The wedding's in two weeks."

Nat's heart was broken.  He had finally found her, and she was engaged?  It could not be true.

"Do…do you love him, Kit?" he asked tentatively.  He was not sure he wanted to know the answer to this.

Kit sobbed even harder.

"No," she said.  "I don't."

Nat's hopes began to soar.

"Do you love me?" he asked.  This response would either make him the happiest man in the world, or cause him to sink into a despair so great he would consider drowning himself…after all, a sailor's suicide should be by drowning in his beloved waters.

"I do," Kit said.  Her tears began to subside, and she looked up at his shining eyes, so handsome, so bright, so filled with love and happiness.

Before she could say anything else, she felt warm, tender lips on hers.  The effect was electric.  She put her arms around his neck, as he drew her closer to him.  His tongue begged her mouth to open, and Kit surrendered willingly.  The kiss was sweet, long-lived, and passionate.  Kit had never been happier in her life.

But there was just one problem…

*           *           *           *           *

Gilbert's eyes were laid upon a startling scene.  His fiancée was kissing a man he had never before seen, and it was obviously of her own accord.  What should he do?

"Kit?  What are you doing?"

The two lovers broke apart at once, but Nat's arm remained around Kit's waist.  He would be ready to fight for his love if need be.  But he hoped Kit's fiancé would be reasonable and that he didn't really love Kit as much as Nat did.

Kit was frightened.  What would happen now?  There was nothing much to do but explain.

"Hello, Gilbert…this is Nat," she said awkwardly.  "He's an old friend of mine…he…he risked his life to save mine once."

"Nice to meet you, Nat," he said.  Gilbert was in a daze.

"My pleasure," Nat said warily.  Though the man seemed not to be reasonable, Nat would not take chances.

"I suppose explanations and confessions are in order," Kit said.  He began to regain her calmness, and Nat was thrilled.  He could never stand a high-strung woman who lost her wits repeatedly and became hysterical.  Kit's levelheadedness was one of the things he loved best about her.

"I'm sorry, Gilbert.  I don't know how else to say it.  I love Nat.  Please…release me from the engagement.  I would never do you proud as a wife.  It's for your sake as well as mine.  Please, Gilbert," Kit begged.

Gilberts mind was spinning.  If Kit did not love him, he was free.  He could find Anne and marry her.  They would both be happy.

"Yes.  Of course," he said, a feeling of relief washing through him and a light shining in his eyes.  "I have a confession to make too.  When we went to the hotel resort, I met a girl, Anne.  And I fell in love."

"What are you waiting for, then?" Kit asked jubilantly.  She was glad that her friend had a love to appreciate him.  Thrusting his ring back into his hand, she said, "Go find her!"

"I wish you both the best," Gilbert said.  "As rash as it may seem, I will go find her.  Nat, you are welcome to stay at my home for the duration of your stay in Barbados if you wish.  I will not be home, of course, but you are welcome anyway.  Any friend of Kit's is a friend of mine, and if it is her fiancé," Gilbert added, winking as Kit blushed, "So much the better."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Nat said jovially.

"Good bye, Gilbert!" Kit called after him.

Gilbert turned and waved.  Then he was gone, and Nat and Kit were alone together on the wharf.

Kit turned back to Nat, whose piercing blue eyes gazed into hers with love.  He could stand there forever, just looking at her, but he had something else to do.

"Oh, Kit, I didn't want it to be like this, not here, love.  But it'll just have to do."

Nat kneeled down on one knee.  "Katherine Tyler, will you marry me?"

"Nat, you have no idea how much pleasure it would give me to be your wife."

Nat slid a ring on her finger, and Kit gasped in pleasure.  It was a circlet of pearls surrounding a beautiful blue topaz set in white gold.

"Blue topaz and pearls.  For the sea," she guessed.

"Yes," Nat replied, laughing.  "I have carried this ring around ever since I knew I loved you, hoping that when I found you, I could propose.  I've been searching for you everywhere after you ran away from your uncle's house, but couldn't exactly go and ask them where you had gone, what with me being banished an all."

"No I don't suppose so…" Kit said demurely as they strolled along the wharf towards his father's ship, his arm comfortably draped around her shoulders.  Kit was in bliss.  She had never felt this love and comfort with Gilbert, and she knew that she had belonged to Nat, and not Gilbert all along.

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A/N: End of this (longer than usual) chapter.  NAT AND KIT GOT TOGETHER!  It was really fun to write.  One more chapter?  Something like that.  By the way, new penname: Mistletoe Moon!


	10. Finale

A/N: Last chapter…

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"I, Nathaniel Eaton, take you, Katherine Tyler, to be my wedded wife.  To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part.  And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."

"I, Katherine Tyler, take you, Nathaniel Eaton, to be my wedded husband.  To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."

"You may kiss the bride."

Nat carefully lifted the veil that framed his newly wedded wife's face over her head, careful to not muss her hair.  He then bent down and kissed her gently on the lips.  He felt her lips warm up to him, responding to his touch, and he felt that he had never been happier.  Kit Tyler was now his wife.  She was now Kit Eaton.

The priest started to clear his throat, rather impatiently.  The couple was taking a bit too long…Kit smiled at Nat as the two broke apart, both knowing that the minute they had been allotted was all too short.  Nat took Kit's hand in his own, and the two, ignoring all formalities, stepped away from the priest, toward their friends and family, who congratulated them heartily.

Nat's mother kissed Kit gently on the cheek and said, "I know you'll take good care of him, dear.  I'm glad you accepted his proposal.  Though he tried not to show it, he was obviously distressed about how you left without saying goodbye to him…he loves you dearly, Kit."  The two women smiled at one another, and finally the older woman said, "You had best go greet your other guests, dear.  They'll want to congratulate you too."

The couple were indeed congratulated by their many guests; amongst them were Anne and Gilbert Ford, who had been married a week before.  As Anne and Kit chatted happily, Gilbert took Nat aside, and the two men talked.

"Congratulations, Nat," Gilbert said.

"Thank you, Gilbert.  I myself feel lucky to have won the hand of such a fine woman."

"As you should, as you should."

"And I'm glad it has all worked out for both of us."

The two men smiled at each other, knowing they'd be friends for life, when suddenly, Nat felt a hearty slap on his back.

"Hey, you lucky boy!  How'd you land yourself such a pretty girl?"

"Uh…luck?" Nat responded, turning to face one of his oldest friends, who just so happened to be a bit tactless.  His next words proved this.

"So, Nat, are you gonna…you know…tonight?"

Nat turned beet red.

"I mean…I could help a bit you know…"  
Nat glared at his friend.

"No, not like that!  Wow, you're generous with everything but the wife!  But then again, who would be?  So anyways, I meant I could stand in the closet and whisper directions to you and all…"

"I'm sure I'll do just fine, thanks," Nat responded, cutting in smoothly.  He sighed internally.  Though Jake _was_ one of his best friends, he could be a pain sometimes…

"Well, I suppose you'll need to get going and all…greet the guests, you know," Gilbert said, trying to stop the awkward situation.

Smiling gratefully at Gilbert, Nat said, "Yeah…see you later."

"How do you think he'll do?" Jake asked Gilbert.

"Fine, just fine," Gilbert said with a smile.

"We'll see Kit's face tomorrow," Jake said.  "Or maybe we won't see either of them tomorrow…then we'll know she can't resist him." Jake said, laughing.

Gilbert looked disapprovingly at him and moved off to be with his wife, Anne.

*           *           *           *           *

"You think they'll miss us if we leave?"

Kit turned around to see her tall, handsome husband standing behind her.  He wrapped his arms about her waist lovingly and gazed deeply into her eyes.

"No," Kit responded, smiling back at him.  "They're all too drunk to notice anything…well, most of them, anyways."

Nat looked up.  She was right; most looked as if they'd had one too many.  Jake was even singing at the top of his lungs a rather rude song, and no one seemed to mind.  So the newly betrothed couple left.

*           *           *           *           *

When they reached the front door, Nat picked up his bride and carried her over the threshold and into their bedroom.  He set her gently down on the bed, and she pulled him close to her.

"Nat," she whispered into his chest, "I love you."

"I love you too, Kit," he replied, his voice growing raspy.

Soon the couple were kissing more passionately than ever before, and even an hour later, Kit was no longer a virgin.  Kit and Nat were finally married, and both felt that they'd never been as happy as they were that night.

THE END

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A/N: Don't flame me, please!  I know this was a BAD ending…I really didn't know what to write.  I'm sorry I didn't get it out before 2004, but oh well…THANK YOU all for reading…I'm going to write more, I promise.  I'm currently thinking about Anne of Green Gables, Johnny Tremain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter.  Which one should I do?  Suggestions?

About the two mistakes with Nat supposedly getting killed if he goes back, that's wrong (gets 30 lashes, thank you anomynous) and the part about Hannah's hut not being there any more (thanks again anomynous and Didi), I'd just like to say that I forgot…and am too lazy to go back and change it, so if it's okay with you all, please ignore it!  Thanks a lot guys!

I'd like to thank the following people:

Marzoog

Anonymous 327

NoLaBeLs

Aquarius Angel

Didi

Reader

Mundungus Fletcher

tn

anomynous

And especially:

Angel of Despair

Steph

Bac210

READER

All of you, especially the last four, have made it worthwhile to write this story!  Thanks SO much!  Keep reading!  Love you all!


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